The Monday Tipoff: Garza's Streak Is Highlight Of His Resumé
It's hard to pick one feature on Luka Garza's body of work this season that has been the most impressive.
But perhaps it is consistency that matters most as he stays in the consideration for national player of the year awards.
Garza’s 28-point game in Sunday’s 78-76 loss at Illinois was his 16th consecutive game of 20 or more games against Big Ten opponents.
The Iowa junior center has scored 53 points and had 18 rebounds in two games against coach Brad Underwood’s Illini, so there’s that.
But Underwood knows what Garza has done against the rest of the Big Ten, too.
It’s why Underwood was listing Garza’s resumé as a reason why he should be at the top of the player of the year conversation, both within the conference and nationally.
“Most players in college basketball, in the course of a 30-game schedule, have some ups and downs," Underwood said.
Underwood is right.
Garza’s streak is the longest in the conference since Dennis Hopson had 16 in 1987. He finished as the Big Ten’s leading scorer, averaging 26.2 points in conference play, fifth-most all-time in league play and the first to top 26 points since Glenn Robinson’s 31-point season in 1994.
The streak is one thing — Garza is doing that consistently in a conference that a.) is arguably the best in the nation and b.) has some of the best inside talent in the nation.
“I think sometimes,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said, “you have to take a step back and admire what he’s doing.”
It’s another thing when even your bad nights aren’t that bad.
Go back to Underwood talking about ups and downs.
Consider that, in Garza’s only Big Ten game this season under 20 points, he had 16 points and 18 rebounds against Nebraska.
Garza played all but three seconds in Sunday’s game. He’s averaging 32 minutes per game, more than 33 minutes in Big Ten games.
“Very few guys can play with that level of intensity against that level of physicality for that long, and continue to be effective,” McCaffery said. “We’re just very fortunate to have him, and we’re going to utilize his talent and tenacity, because it’s infectious to the rest of the team.”
“That’s who he is — the ultimate competitor,” guard Connor McCaffery said. “He takes hits left and right. Doesn’t matter, he wears them.
“One of the toughest dudes I know.”
Garza is the fourth player nationally since 2007 to have 700 or more points, 300 or more rebounds, 50 or more blocks, and 35 or more 3-pointers in a season, joining Frank Kaminsky (2015), Michael Beasley (2008) and Kevin Durant (2007).
Underwood was an assistant at Kansas State and coached Beasley, a name he brought up when talking about Garza on Sunday night.
In getting ready for Sunday’s game, Underwood watched Iowa’s previous game, Tuesday’s 77-68 home loss to Purdue, when Garza had 26 points and 12 rebounds.
“I thought Purdue the other night did an unbelievable job of guarding him, and I looked at the box score and he had 26 and 14, or whatever it is,” Underwood said. “He’s gotta be at the top of those (national player of the year) conversations.”
The Big Ten’s awards come out later Monday. Garza is the favorite to be player of the year.
That’s good enough for Underwood when it comes to the higher national honor.
“When you’re the best player in the best league in the country, you’ve got to be right there,” Underwood said.
